Improvement in keys for locks



W. H. TAYLOR.

KEYS FOR LOCKS.

No. 193,569. Patented July 24,1877.

I JV V EJY' T OR Wkw'wa I Tyler WITNESSES i f By fills Zttorneys, %M4%M,(7

N PETERS, PHOTO-LITHOGRAPHER, WASHINGTON. D C.

UNITED STATES PATE OFFICE.

- WARREN H. TAYLOR, OF STAMFORD, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE YALELOGKMANUFACTURING COMPANY, OF SAME PLACE.

IMPROVEMENT lN KEYS FOR LOCKS- Specification forming part of LettersPatent No. 193,569, dated July 24, 1877 application filed June 5, 1877.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, WARREN H. TAYLOR, ofStamford, in the county of Fairfield and State of Connecticut, haveinvented certain I mprovements in Keys, of which the following is aspecification, that will enable persons skilled in the art to make anduse the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

My improvements relate to keys in which a flat steel or sheet-metalshank and bow are employed; and their object is to secure the strength,lightness, convenience in use, and economy in manufacture of such ashank and bow united securely with a round stem, -or that part of anordinary round key which gives it support, and serves as its journal inthe bearing of the lock-case.

Flat keys made wholly of sheet metal involve the use in the lock of ahub or rollback to support them during their revolution, and it is oftendiificult to enter the flat key into this hub when the lock is on thedoor, because the hub is out of sight and the key must pass through agreater or less thickness of wood to reach the lock. The hub is alsooccasionally turned and its slot moved from its vertical position byaccident, so that the key cannot enter until it is in place. Hence ithas heretofore been attempted to combine the advantages of a round andflat key, as appears by the patent granted to Emory Parker, May 4, 1869,in which a flat sheetmetal bow, shank, and bit, made of one piece, areunited with a peculiar slotted stem cut nearly in two, which leaves itweak. Owing to this plan of construction, soldering or brazing mustlargely be depended on for securing the two parts together, whichinjures the appearance of the key, renders it difficult to finish, and

more liable to be defaced by corrosion.

My purpose is to obviate these objections by an improved constructionthat will enable the parts to be more seeurely fitted and united,

- with less dependence upon soldering or brazing, and with a greaterfacility for finishing.

The subject-matter claimed will hereinafter specifically be designated.

In the drawings, Figure 1 1s a view of my improved key complete. Fig.Z-is a view of the sheet-metal shank and bow detached. Figs.3

and 3 are views of the cylindrical stem and bit; and Figs. 4 and 4 areviews of a slotted ferrule, which is employed to unite the shank andstem. Fig. 5 is a view of a modification of the form of the shank. Figs.6, 7, and 8 are views, in cross-section, of stems and bits of differentmodes of manufacture, but alike in outline.

I prefer to make the bit and stem of a single piece of metal. This maybe done by cutting suitable blanks from rolled or drawn stock of theform shown in cross-section by Fig. 6, or by stamping out sheet-metalblanks and doubling or folding them, as shown in cross-section by Figs.7 and 8, and punching or trimming these blanks to give the bit thedesired shape, and leave it shorter than the stem.

It will be seen that the combined stem and bit shown by Fig. 6 is solid,that the one shown by Fig. 7 is formed of a single piece of sheet metalfolded in the middle, and that the one shown by Fig. 8 is formed of asingle piece of sheet metal folded at one side. In one end of the stem,in order to connect it with the sheet-metal shank, I form a slot, a. Istamp out the shank and bow from sheet metal of a thickness at leastequal to the width of the slot in the stem, and, at the same time, formon its end a tenon, b, of a width equal to the diameter of the stem, tofit in the slot. I place a ferrule, 0, open at one end and partiallyclosed and slotted at the other, on the stem so that the slot in theferrule and that in the stem shall coincide, thus forming a completemortise, into which the tenon is inserted and secured, its shouldersresting against the bottom of the slot in the ferrule. If desired, theremay be an aperture running partially or entirely through the stem, toreceive the projection of the tenon illustrated in the modification ofthe shank shown in Fig. 5. The ferrule not only securely unites theshank and stem, but also forms a shoulder, at, that serves as a stop orgage to the key when inserted in the lock. The object of having itpartially closed at the slotted end is to give a better finish, and toprevent its slipping out of place, the end of the stem holding it on oneside, while the shoulders of the tenon on the shank entering its'slothold it on the other; but although I prefer to have it partially closedat the slotted end, it is not absolutely essential to the constructionof my improved key that it should be, because various other meansbesides, partially closing its slotted end might be adopted for holdingit in place on the stem, and preventing it from slipping toward the bit.

I am aware that a sheet metal shank and bow are not new; and I do notbroadly claim herein a key-shank and bow without bit or stem, formed inone piece of sheet metal, and provided with a tenou for rigidly unitingit with the stem of other metal; nor the combination of a sheet-metalkey-shank and bow with a cylindrical slotted key-stem carrying a bit orwing; nor the combination ofa sheet metal shank and bow and acylindrical stem, made in separate parts and rigidlysecured together, asthese features are "shown and claimed in a pending applicationheretofore filed by me, of which this is a division.

What I do claim herein as my invention, and desire to secure by LettersPatent, is-

1. A key-shank and bow formed of one piece of sheet metal, and providedwith a tenon and projection thereof smaller than the tenon,substantially as described.

2. An improved key, composed of a sheetmetal bow and shank, and aslotted bit-stem, the two united by a ferrule that serves as a stop orgage for the key.

In testimonyfwhereof I have hereunto subscribed my name.

WARREN H. TAYLOR.

